The Driving Industry has completely changed in recent years. So much so that if those who have passed their driving test a number of years ago were to begin the process of learning again they would find it a very different process.

Of course driving instructors who have stayed the course & continued to develop their skills will know all about these changes & will have changed their techniques themselves along with the industry. Those instructors that haven’t continue to teach out dated methods.

What does this mean for you as a student? If your instructor hasn’t kept up with new developments through continuous self improvement then you run the risk of failing your test as you learn out dated techniques.

For instance, as you start each driving lesson, your instructor should spend the first five minutes going over what you covered in the last lesson. This should be as interactive as possible ensuring you are paying attention & what you cover each week is sinking in. As you respond to the instructors questions you both should get a clear picture of what areas you need more training in.

Once you have recapped on the previous lesson your instructor should then discuss with you where you are up to with regard to your training. You should have been told how this fits in with the whole syllabus & your instructor should then recommend the next steps for this particular lesson. What this means is your instructor ensures that you are comfortable with what you have learned so far & you are happy to move on with the next part of the syllabus. These actions will give you a clear objective of what you want to achieve each lesson.

Prior to setting off to begin the lesson you should have established responsibilities.  For example if you are not particularly comfortable about something whether it be a new task or one that is a refresher, make sure you’re driving instructor will talk you through the points that you feel uncomfortable with at the time. After completion of the task, have your instructor pull you over & give you an assessment of how the task went. Don’t assume the instructor knows you feel uncomfortable about a particular task. If you need more practice, say so & you can perfect it before moving on.

Regularly stopping & starting during the lesson to assess how you are progressing ensures you have the instructors feedback & he has yours if you need extra coaching. Not to mention it also gives you regular practice you might need in pulling the car over or pulling away from a parked position.

When you have finished your lesson you should go over what you have learned with your instructor & receive feedback on how things have gone. Will you need a lot of practice on what you have learned in that lesson or did it sink in well & you might get away with a quick refresher? How do you feel yourself about what you have learned? Was it easy enough for you or did you find it difficult enough to warrant you needing a lot more practice? This summary of how the lesson went is vital to both sides so you can establish where you are in the syllabus & how well you are learning what the instructor is teaching you.

Check out our article on learning with parents.

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